


The Boy in the Graveyard

by Takara_Phoenix



Series: Phoe's Writer's Month 2020 [20]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Gods, Death Angel Nico, Dying Percy, Hurt/Comfort, I don't think it warrants a, It's The Beginning, M/M, Major Character Death tag if the whole point, Nicercy - Freeform, Slash, Writer's Month 2020, but hey there's always the afterlife, death is not the end, is him getting together with his Death Angel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 01:20:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26008663
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Takara_Phoenix/pseuds/Takara_Phoenix
Summary: There was an urban legend about a boy who lived in the graveyard and only those close to their death could see him. One day, when visiting his mother's grave, Percy sees him.
Relationships: Nico di Angelo/Percy Jackson
Series: Phoe's Writer's Month 2020 [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859461
Comments: 27
Kudos: 393
Collections: Writer's Month 2020





	The Boy in the Graveyard

PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO || Nicercy || The Boy in the Graveyard || Nicercy || PJatO || Nicercy || PJatO

Title: The Boy in the Graveyard – Writer's Month 2020

Fandom: Percy Jackson and the Olympians / Heroes of Olympus

Disclaimer: All rights reserved to Rick Riordan. Aside from the Gods, they belong to the old Greeks. This fanfiction and its OCs on the other hand are entirely mine. No money is made with this, though reviews are more than welcomed.

Tags: m/m, death angels, death, hurt/comfort

Main Pairing: Nico/Percy

Percy Jackson Characters: Perseus Jackson, Nico di Angelo, Sally Jackson, Mrs. O'Leary

Writer's Month Prompt: loss

Summary: There was an urban legend about a boy who lived in the graveyard and only those close to their death could see him. One day, when visiting his mother's grave, Percy sees him.

**The Boy in the Graveyard**

_Writer's Month 2020_

There was an urban legend in their neighborhood. That their graveyard was haunted, that a boy was haunting it. Late teens, dead. Mostly see-through, but with deep, dark eyes and pitch-black wings. Not everyone could see him though. The legend went that only those near death could see him. Because everyone who had seen him had died within seven days. A bad omen.

Percy was on his way to visit his mother's grave – well, his families' grave – when he first saw the angel of death. He was beautiful. Ethereal. His skin was luminescent and and mostly transparent, but his eyes truly were as intense as the stories said. The large wings were magnificent, like an oversized raven, with beautiful feathers. Spread wide, in warning or threat. Percy would have been enchanted by that appearance, if he hadn't known what this sighting meant.

He smiled wearily. He was so tired. Had been tired of waiting. Yes, in a way, he had waited for this. He always knew it'd come, knew it'd come early too. His mother's parents had died during a plane-crash and she had been raised by her uncle, until he had died of cancer. She spent so many years working hard to pay off the hospital bills. When Percy was a teen, he lost her to cancer too. He knew it was bound to happen to him too, he had braced himself for this for years.

"Hello, there", greeted Percy with a tired, little smile, waving.

The angel of death looked startled at that. He furrowed his brows and looked around. It was kind of adorable and made Percy laugh. Peculiar, particularly in this situation, who would laugh?

"Yes, I'm talking to you. What, no one ever greeted you?", huffed Percy.

"I... no?", offered the angel confused.

"Well. Let me be the first then. Hello", stated Percy.

He put the flowers down at his mother's grave, gently brushing over the letters on the headstone. By the time he got up again, the angel was standing right next to him. There was a curious frown on the angel's face as he regarded Percy intensely. Percy tried for a smile again.

"What is it?", asked Percy, tilting his head.

"You're a strange human. Humans never... greet me like an old friend. They fear me. They curse and insult me, try to chase me away. They cry and beg and bargain. Or they flat-out ignore me. Pretend they don't see me, because then I will not be real and nothing will happen to them."

"Mh... I guess you are", mused Percy softly, smile turning sad. "You already took my family, in a way you are an old friend. There's no one else I have to lose but myself. I've always known there was a short expiration date on me. So you're not... a surprise."

"You're strange", whispered the angel and reached out for him. "Will you let me bless you?"

"I... What...? Uhm... okay sure?", agreed Percy reluctantly, unsure what was happening.

The angel gently grasped Percy's cheeks and pulled him closer, tilting his head down so he could press a soft kiss against Percy's forehead. It was ice-cold but quickly warmed up, filling his entire body with a strange warmth. A comforting warmth. This time, the smile on Percy's lips was entirely genuine and soft, prompted by the feeling this caused.

"What... What does this mean?", asked Percy confused and a little flustered.

The death angel appeared to be around his age and was definitely attractive, so of course would it fluster him a bit to be kissed so gently. The angel smiled at him and it was a kind, warm smile.

"This is why we seek those who... will die out prior to their death. I am an angel of death, a servant of Thanatos, the god of non-violent deaths. Our kiss soothes the pain, our kiss is what takes the pain away for you when you pass. But... most people I seek out don't let me close enough."

"...Oh", whispered Percy, voice breaking a little. "Thank you."

The angel smiled once more, rubbing his thumb in circles over Percy's cheek. "You're welcome. I will return for you in a week's time and I will guide you to the afterlife."

"T... Thank you", said Percy once more, this time his voice truly cracked. "Wait!"

The angel, who had let go and seemed about to leave, paused. "Yes?"

"What's... your name?", asked Percy, fidgeting with his sleeve.

The angel blinked, looking baffled. "You _truly_ are strange. No one has ever asked me that before."

"Uhm. Sorry if it's an inappropriate thing to ask? You don't have to answer-"

"No. That's not it. I... don't have a name. We are the Thanatea, the angels of Thanatos."

"Oh. Huh." Percy grunted, furrowing his brows. "Does that... bother you?"

"I have honestly never thought about it before. I... suppose a name means a lot to your kind?"

"Kind of. They give us identity, individuality."

"Very well. If it means so much to you, you can... choose one for me."

Percy stared startled at the angel. "I... uhm. Okay. How about... Nico?"

"Nico?", echoed the angel, tasting the name on his tongue. "Why?"

"Dunno. There's this really fancy winged statue, the Nike of Samothrace. My best friend from high school was very obsessed with art and introduced it to me. She was like the first big fancy angel art I've ever seen. So... Nico, because it's the male version of Nike?"

"Mh. I like that. Nico. Yes. Very well, we will see each other in a week's time."

/break\

What Nico had told him proved to be true. When Percy died, there was no pain. Only warmth, like an embrace from a loved one. When he opened his eyes, he found himself in the arms of Nico.

"Welcome home", greeted Nico gently, smiling at Percy.

"Welcome back", replied Percy with a tired, little smile.

They stayed like that a little longer, Percy simply leaning into the angel and Nico giving him the support he seemed to need. When Percy was ready, he slowly peeled himself off Nico. Now that Percy was dead, he could see Nico more clearly. Solid, like... a real human would be. It was mostly likely because Percy was now the same kind of... spirit? Undead? Whatever.

"So... What... What now...?", asked Percy tentatively.

"Now, I will bring you to the underworld, where your life will be judged. And then the judges will decide where you get to spend the rest or your afterlife, or if you will be reborn."

"Will... you stay with me?", asked Percy, feeling oddly nervous. "During the – well, trial?"

"It... is not common. But you're not common either, so... yes, I will."

Percy smiled thinly and let Nico lead the way to the underworld. The trial itself made him nervous, but the judges deemed him a good person, so Nico took him by the hand to bring him to the Good Place, which basically looked like the suburbs. Weird choice. They passed many houses, Nico seemed to be looking for one particular house. Percy wanted to ask, but opted not to. Until they stood in front of a door, a door labeled _JACKSON_. Swallowing hard, Percy watched how Nico knocked the door. The angel reached a comforting wing out to caress Percy's back. The door opened and in front of it, Percy's mother – someone he never thought he'd get to see again. A sob wrecked his body as he simply threw himself at his mother, who looked surprised and pained. Their hug was tight and warm and lasted long, so long, Percy nearly forgot about Nico.

"I had hoped it'd be many more years before I'd get to see you again", whispered Sally.

"I missed you _so much_ , mom", sobbed Percy, clinging on even tighter.

"I did too, sweetie", chuckled Sally gently, running her fingers through his hair. "Oh, oh, I can't wait for you to meet my parents – your grandparents. And uncle Rich. Come inside, come."

"Wait, mom", interrupted Percy and turned toward where Nico had been just a moment ago.

But there was no one anymore. He was gone. Only Percy and Sally remained, so he followed her.

/break\

Percy loved his grandparents and his grand-uncle. He had even made friends with some kids in the neighborhood, but the one person he couldn't shake off was Nico, so he oftentimes ventures out of the Good Place, exploring, searching for his angel. Until one day, Nico returned, to bring another soul to the neighborhood. Percy got to talk to him again, was so excited, slapped Nico's chest playfully and chided him for just disappearing on him. Nico apologized, cutely, and promised to come back. He kept his promise. They met, over and over again, talking and laughing with each other. At one point, Percy got to meet – and name – Nico's pet hell-hound. Her name was now Mrs. O'Leary, which Nico found rather peculiar and had made him wonder if that meant Nico was Mr. O'Leary then. With that, Nico got a last-name then. Nico even stayed for family dinners some nights, even though he didn't need to eat. It was cute to see how curious he was about all of these human traditions, learning about them. They had been friends for many years by the time Percy realized he had developed feelings for the death angel. Nico had helped him so much, helped him deal with the loss of his own life, settle into the afterlife, reunited him with his family.

The two of them were out together, walking Mrs. O'Leary through the gardens of Persephone – beautiful golden trees and silver bushes, with emeralds as leafs and flowers of sapphires and rubies – when Percy gathered his wits to tell Nico. He bit his lips hard as he stared at Nico.

"Uhm... so... seeing as how angels don't have names and stuff... do you... have... I mean, romantic love?", asked Percy worried. "I mean, do you have boyfriends or something?"

"We don't have a word for it, but the entanglement of souls _is_ something Thanatea engage in", replied Nico amused, quirking one eyebrow. "I just never met anyone special enough for myself."

"...Oh", nodded Percy, hanging his head just a little.

"You know that you are the most special person I ever met", elaborated Nico patiently.

"...Oh", whispered Percy eagerly, perking up some. "So... you... wanna be my boyfriend?"

"I'd like that", chuckled Nico, his eyes sparkling. "You're the most peculiar human I ever met. You care so much, you are so kind. I... I never met anyone like you. I like you very much."

"I... am _so_ glad to hear that", grinned Percy, leaning in slowly.

Nico caught on quickly and followed Percy's lead, until their lips touched. Nico wrapped his arms and wings around Percy, pulling him in and holding him close. The kiss only broke when Mrs. O'Leary whined and nudged them hard enough to topple them over. They laded in a heap, laughing softly to themselves. The afterlife was definitely better than Percy would have expected.

_~*~ The End ~*~_

**Author's Note:**

> I love death angel Nico, it was time for some death angel Nico again! ^o^


End file.
